Locking device for tongue-switches.



G. A. ALDEN 6; E. E- ,WIGHTMAN. LOCKING DEVICE FOR TONGUE SWITCHES.

APPLICATION rum) 11113.20, ms.-

908, 190, Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

WITNESSES INI E N TURS zvy um;

THE cams PETERS co., wnsnmcron, l:v c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. ALDEN, OF STEELTON, AND EDWIN E. WIGIITMAN, OF HARRISBURG, PENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE PENNSYLVANIA STEEL COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCKING DEvrcngrong'roivenn-swr'rcrms.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES A. ALD N and EDWIN E. VVIGHTMAN, citizens of the United States, said Alden residing at Steelton, Dauphin county, State of Pennsylvania, and said Ji/ightman residing at Harrisburg, Dauphin county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices for Tongue- Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a tongue switch with a simple and efiicient locking means whereby the switch tongue may be held in operative position without danger of accidental displacement.

Having this object in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts.which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway switch embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, enlarged, of the free end of the switch tongue and adjuncts including our improved locking means. Fig. 3 is a vertical section as on the line xx of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified form of the invention.

l designates the base of a railroad switch section having formed therein a groove 2, in which is arranged the usual switch tongue 3, one end of which is pivotally connected, as at 4, to the base 1. Leading from one end of the base 1 adjacent the free end of the switch tongue 3, is a rail 5, and leading from the other end of the base 1 adjacent the pivoted end of the switch tongue 3 are the two diverging rails 6 and 7. Thus far the construction of the parts is common and Well known, and no detailed description thereof is deemed necessary herein. The free end of the switch tongue 3 is movable into engagement with one side wall 8 of the groove 2, to direct the car wheels to the rails 5 and 7, and it is movable into engagement with the other side wall 9 of the groove 2 to direct the car wheels to the rails 5 and 6. Between these two positions of the free end of the tongue 3 is a space for the passage therethrough of the car wheel flanges as they are directed to either side of the switch tongue 3 under the control of the position of the tongue.

It is well known, in railroad switches where Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 20, 1908.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Serial No. 422,221.

a tongue is employed to direct the car wheels from one rail to one of two diverging rails, that after the tongue has been set to roperly direct the wheels to one of the two iverging rails, said tongue is sometimes accidentally displaced, thus causing the tongue to direct the car wheels to the wrong rail. It is also well known that when a car or train is passing over a switch of the character herein described, and is being directed by the tongue 3, say from the track 5 to the track 6, after some of the wheels of the car or train have passed over the tongue 3 to the rail 6, the tongue 3 is sometimes accidentally displaced, thus causing the remaining wheels to pass from the rail 5 to the rail 7, which, of course, results in a derailment of the car or train, if not in a more serious accident. By the employment of our improved locking means, we are enabled to lock the switch tongue 3 in engagement with the wall 8 to direct the car wheels from the track 5 to the track 7, or we are enabled to lock the switch tongue 3 in engagement with the wall 9, to direct the car wheels from the track 5 to the track 6.

We shall now proceed to describe our improved locking means.

The base of the groove 2 adjacent the free end of the tongue 3 is provided with a depression 10 therein, and pivotally mounted within this depression 10, as at 11, is a looking dog 12, which is movable in a plane between the two positions of the free end of the switch tongue 3, or, in other words, in the line of travel of the car wheel flanges, the width of the dog 12 being equal to the width of the s ace between the two positions of the free on of the tongue 3, or substantially so. The locking dog 12 is movable to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 a ainst a suitable stop 13, and it is also movab e to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, against a suitable stop 14.

When it is desired to adjust the switch tongue from one to the other of its two positions, the locking dog 12 is moved to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, in which position it rests by its own weight against the stop 14. After the switch tongue 3 has been adjusted to the desired side of its groove, the locking dog 12 is lowered to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 3, in which position it en ages the free end of the switch tongue 3, and locks the same against the side wall of the groove 3, against which it was adjusted. If, after the locking dog 12 has been raised to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the switch tongue 3 has been adjusted to the desired position, the lockin dog 12 is left in the position shown by dotted lines through the neglectof the attendant to lower it into locking positlon, or for any other reason, then, upon the a proach toward the free end of the tongue of the first wheel of a car or train, the flarige of said wheel will engage the upwardly extending locking dog 12, and will automatically press it down into locking position as the car wheel 15, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, rolls on to the switch tongue.

In Fig. 4, we have shown a slightly modified construction, in which the stop 13* to hold the locking dog 12 in locking position is so located with respect to the stop 143 which holds the dog out of locking position, that when the dog 12 is in looking position or out of locking position it will be in each case below the path of travel of the car wheel flange, thus dispensing with the feature of moving the dog into locking position by the automatic action of the car wheel.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a tongue switch, the combination of the base having the groove therein, the pivoted switch tongue within said groove and movable to a position in engagement with a side wall thereof, and a locking dog pivoted below the path of travel of car wheel flanges in passing over the switch, said dog being movable out of the path of movement of said tongue and adjacent one side of said tongue when the other side thereof is in engagement with said wall, substantially as described.

2. In a tongue switch, the combination of the base having the groove therein, the pivoted switch tongue within said groove and movable to one position in engagement with one side wall of said groove and to another position in engagement with the other side wall of said groove, the rail leading from a position adjacent the free end of said tongue, the diverging rails leading from a position i position in engagement with theother sidev wall of said groove, the rail leading from a position adjacent the free end of said tongue the diverging rails leading from a position adjacent the pivoted end of said tongue, and

a locking dog pivoted below the path of travel of car wheel flanges in passing over the switch, said dog being arranged adjacent the free end of the switch tongue, and being movable into and out of a position between the two positions of said tongue, substantially as described.

I. In a tongue switch, the combination of the base having the groove therein, the pivoted switch tongue within said groove and movable to a position in engagement with a side wall thereof, a locking dog pivoted below the path of travel of car wheel flanges in passing over the switch, said dog being movable out of the path of movement of said tongue and adjacent one side of said tongue when the other side thereof is in engagement with said wall, a stop limiting the movement of said dog in one direction, and a stop limiting the movement of said dog in the reverse direction, said stops being so positioned that when the dog is in looking position it will be below the path of travel of the car wheel flanges in passing over the switch, and when said dog is out of locking position it will be in the path of travel of the car wheel flanges in passing over the switch, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto aflixed our signatures.

CHARLES A. ALDEN. EDWIN E. WIGHTMAN. Witnesses:

B. A. I-IANKIN, WM. R. MINLER. 

